Axle assembly for an excavating machine

ABSTRACT

An excavating machine equipped with a shovel at the end of a jib pivotally fastened to a vehicle frame has an approximately Ushaped front axle assembly including a normally horizontal beam projecting far from the frame and carrying vertically adjustable columns on which the front idler wheels may be pivoted in the upright plane of the U-shape. Rear legs of adjustable height are similarly spread far apart to permit the machine to travel on oppositely inclined lateral slopes of a ditch during excavation work.

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority AXLE ASSEMBLY FOR AN EXCAVATING Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner- Frank E. Werner Altorney-Kelman and Berman 280/6 UX 280/6.1l X 214/138 214/138 ABSTRACT: An excavating machine equipped with a shovel at the end of a jib pivotally fastened to a vehicle frame has an approximately U-shaped front axle assembly including a normally horizontal beam projecting far from the frame and carrying vertically adjustable columns on which the front idler wheels may be pivoted in the upright plane of the U-shape. Rear legs of adjustable height are similarly spread far apart to permit the machine to travel on oppositely inclined lateral slopes of a ditch during excavation work.

MACHINE 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[1.8. CI 214/138, 37/103, 280/6 Int. Cl .v E02f 3/75 FieldofSearch 214/138; 280/6,6.1l, 6.1, 6 H; 37/103 o A 9 1 o 7 5 l 12 PATENTEDJUHZQISYI 3.589.538

SHEETIUFZ Fig. 1

INVENTOR. 5 1 5 MC 4 L I.

PATENTED JUN29 law I 7589538 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to small excavating machines, and particularly to an improved front axle assembly in an excavating machine whose rear end rests on legs not equipped with wheels.

In its more specific aspects, this invention is concerned with an improvement in 3,534,877 supporting means which hold the frame of an excavating machine of the type disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 794,310, filed on Jan. 27, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,534,877 upwardly spaced from the ground.

The excavating machines disclosed in my copending appli cation have been found useful in digging irrigation ditches and in maintaining the ditches by removing silt and the like. The primary object of the instant invention is the provision of a supporting structure which facilitates the use of the excavating machine in irrigation ditch maintenance and other tasks requiring adaptability to complex terrain configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention modifies the supporting elements of my earlier excavating machine in such a manner that the wheel and soil gripping leg on each side of the machine frame may travel on respective sloping banks of the ditch while holding the machine frame with the excavating tools centered above the deepest portion of the ditch,

For this purpose, the axle assembly at the front end of the machine frame includes a normally horizontally elongated beam member which projects beyond the machine frame in two opposite lateral directions. An elongated column member extends downwardly from each of the free ends of the beam member and carries a wheel at its lower end, the length of the column member being greater than the diameter of the wheel mounted thereon. The other end of the frame carries two transversely spaced leg assemblies.

The widely spaced wheels and legs may thus be set down on opposite banks of a ditch, the beam and frame spanning the width of the ditch. The versatility of the machine is further enhanced by securing means which secure each column member to the beam member in each of a plurality of positions offset longitudinally of the column member.

The beam and column members thus may be set in a common upright plane in an inverted U-shape, and I prefer to provide means which permit the axis of rotation of each wheel to be shifted in that plane between angularly offset positions. A simple and convenient arrangement for this purpose includes a segment fixedly mounted at the lower end of each column member and an attaching arrangement for attaching the wheel to the segment in any one of the several positions.

The effective length of the beam member may be varied when the beam member consists of a plurality of telescoping longitudinal portions and is equipped with a connecting device which permits the several portions to be fixedly connected to each other in a plurality of relative positions in which the spacing of the free ends and of the column members mounted thereon is different.

The beam may also be moved longitudinally on the frame as a unit, thereby shifting the frame laterally on the supporting structure as may be convenient in work on ditches having asymmetrical banks. U-shaped clamps on the frame may extend loosely about the beam member to permit the longitudinal movement of the same, and be tightened about the beam member in a desired position. It will be appreciated that the maximum length of the beam member must be great, at least more than twice the diameter of each wheel, if all the advantages of this invention are to be achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. I shows an excavating machine of this invention in its working position in a ditch, the view being in fragmentary front elevation;

FIG. 2 shows the machine of FIG. 1 in its position on leve ground in side elevation; and

FIG. 3 illustrates the machine of FIG. I in a different working position and in fragmentary front elevation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The working elements of the illustrated small excavation machine are mounted on a frame I, are best seen in FIG. 2, and have been largely omitted from FIGS. 1 and 3 for the sake of clarity since this invention is not specifically concerned with them.

The frame ll carries a platform 6 which rotates on the normally horizontally extending frame about a vertical axis 2. The power plant of the machine is concealed in the platform 6 and includes a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, and the pressure pump of a hydraulic system which also includes three jacks 3,4,5. The operators cab 7 is mounted over the platform 6.

The jib or boom 9 of the machine is fastened to a heavy upright channel 8 on the platform 6 by means of a pivot 12. The jack 3 is hingedly fastened to the channel 8 and the jib 9 for pivoting the latter on the frame 1 in a vertical plane. The jack 4 similarly pivots an arm 10 on the free end of the jib 9, and an excavating shovel or bucket 11 is hinged to the free end of the arm 10 and pivoted by the jack 5.

This invention is more specifically concerned with the supporting structure which permits the frame 1 to maintain an at least approximately horizontal position on sloping ground, and while the machine travels along the two oppositely sloping oblique banks ofa ditch, as shown in FIG. 1, or along a steeply inclined mountain slope, as seen in FIG. 3.

The frame I is supported on a front axle assembly 20 on which idler wheels 15 are rotatably mounted, and on two leg assemblies in the rear, each assembly consisting of a horizontal beam 17 and a vertical leg 18 whose bottom end is pointed, and which is equipped with a horizontal disc above the pointed end to limit entry of the end into soft ground. The top of each leg 18 is forked, and the associated beam 17 is received in the fork and fastened by means of two pins, not shown, which may be placed into any one of six holes in the leg 18 and two aligned holes in the free end of the beam 17 to vary the effective length of the leg between the connecting pin and the pointed end. As is evident from joint consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2, the beams 17 diverge rearwardly from the frame 1 and they may be swung toward and away from each other as described in more detail in the aforementioned copending application with reference to a modified rear foot assembly.

The front axle assembly 20 includes two upright columns 21 whose lower ends carry the wheels 15 and whose tops are connected by a normally horizontal beam 22. The free ends of the beam 22 project beyond the sides of the frame 1 and are connected to the columns 21 by nonillustrated pins passing through aligned bores in the beam ends and the columns, each column being provided with a longitudinal row of bores to permit the column to be shifted on the beam between the two positions respectively occupied by the right and left column in FIG. 3.

The stub shafts on which the wheels 15 are mounted are secured to thelower ends of the columns 21 by means of segments 23 fixedly welded to the lower column ends and each provided with a central bore and three peripheral bores 25 arranged in an are about the central bore. Pins passing through the central bore and one peripheral bore on the segment and through aligned bores on the shaft permit each wheel to be at tached to the segment in three angular positions so that the wheel axes may coincide, as shown in FIG. 2, be obliquely inclined relative to each other, as shown in FIG. 1, or be spacedly parallel as seen in FIG. 3.

The transverse beam 22 of the front axle assembly consists of three sections of which the central section extends between two Ueshaped clamps 26. The outer sections are slidably received in the clamps 26 and in the central section in telescoping engagement so that the beam may be extended to its greatest width, as shown in FXG. l, or contracted to the length seen in FIG. 3. If the central section is considered a fixed part of the frame 1, the other two beam sections may be shifted laterally on the frame 1 as a unit. The movable beam sections may be connected fixedly to the frame 1 by tightening screws 27 on the clamps 26 (FIG. 2).

When the excavating machine operates on flat ground, the wheels are adjusted to rotate about a common axis and the columns 21 and legs 18 are adjusted to corresponding effective lengths to keep the frame 1 horizontal. A horizontal frame position can also be maintained on a slope by extending the column 21 and the corresponding leg 18 on one side of the frame while retracting the other column and leg as is partly shown in FIG. 3 from which the beams 17 and the legs 18 have been omitted for the sake of clarity. If the center of a ditch is to be cleared of silt, the wheels and legs are spread widely apart as shown in FIG. 1, and the wheels are inclined to match the slope of the ditch banks 24. The illustrated supporting structure is adaptable to many terrain configurations, as has only been illustrated in part and will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure,

The excavating machine is self-propelled in that the shovel 11 may be set on the ground behind the frame 1, and the jacks 3,4,5 operated to lift the legs 18 from the ground and to roll the frame 1 on the wheels 15, whereupon the shovel is moved closer to the frame and the procedure is repeated. This feature of the excavating machine has been described in more detail in the aforementioned copending application. The shovel 11, boom 9, arm 10, and their associated hydraulic jacks 3,4,5 may also be employed for shifting the frame 1 on the horizontal beam 22 when the clamping screws 27 are released. The use of alignable bores and pins for fixing the relative position of the beam sections instead of the illustrated clamps is specifically contemplated, and other means will suggest themselves for holding the columns 21 and legs 18 in their adjusted effective lengths. Telescoping sections may be substituted for the specifically illustrated adjusting arrangements in an obvious manner.

lclaim:

1. In an excavating machine having a normally horizontally extending frame, a platform rotatable on said frame about an upright axis, a jib having one end pivotally fastened to said platform and carrying an excavating tool at the other end thereof, and supporting means for holding said frame in a position upwardly spaced from the ground, the improvement in the supporting means which comprises:

a. a front axle assembly at one end of said frame, said as sembly including 1. a normally horizontally elongated beam member projecting beyond said frame in two opposite directions and having two free ends,

2. an elongated column member vertically extending downwardly from each of said free ends,

3. a wheel mounted at the lower end of each column member for rotation about an axis extending in said directions, the length of the column member being greater than the diameter of the wheel mounted thereon;

b. two leg assemblies at the other end of said frame, said leg assemblies being spaced from said front axle assembly transversely of said direction;

c. securing means securing said beam member to said frame for longitudinal movement; and l d. connecting means for fixedly connecting said beam member to said frame in a plurality of positions offset longitudinally of said beam member.

2. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, securing means for securing each column member to said beam member in each of a plurality of positions offset longitudinally of said column member.

3. in a machine as set forth in claim 2, said beam member and said column members extending in a common upright plane, said front axle assembly further including fastening means for fastening each wheel to the associated column members in each of a plurality of positions, the axis of rotation of said wheel assuming respective positions angularly offset in said plane when said wheel is fastened to said column member in said plurality of positions.

4. In a machine as set forth in claim 3, said fastening means including a segment member fixedly mounted on said lower end of each column member, and attaching means for attaching a wheel to each segment member in each of said plurality of positions.

5. in a machine as set forth in claim 1, said securing means including an approximately U-shaped clamping member on said frame extending about said beam member, and said connecting means including tightening means for tightening said clamping member on said beam member.

6. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, the length of said beam member being more than twice the diameter of each of said wheels.

7. in an excavating machine having a normally horizontally extending frame, a platform rotatable on said frame about an upright axis, a jib having one end pivotally fastened to said platform and carrying an excavating tool at the other end thereof, and supporting means for holding said frame in a position upwardly spaced from the ground, the improvement in the supporting means which comprises:

a. a front axle assembly at one end of said frame, said assembly including 1. a normally horizontally elongated beam member projecting beyond said frame in two opposite directions and having two free ends,

2. said beam member including a plurality of telescoping longitudinal sections and connecting means for fixedly connecting said sections to each other in a plurality of relative positions in which the spacing of said free ends of the beam member is different,

3. an elongated column member vertically extending downwardly from each of said free ends,

4. a wheel mounted at the lower end of each column member for rotation about an axis extending in said directions, the length of the column member being greater than the diameter of the wheel mounted thereon; and

b. two leg assemblies at the other end of said frame, said leg assemblies being spaced from said front axle assembly transversely of said directions. 

1. In an excavating machine having a normally horizontally extending frame, a platform rotatable on said frame about an upright axis, a jib having one end pivotally fastened to said platform and carrying an excavating tool at the other end thereof, and supporting means for holding said frame in a position upwardly spaced from the ground, the improvement in the supporting means which comprises: a. a front axle assembly at one end of said frame, said assembly including
 1. a normally horizontally elongated beam member projecting beyond said frame in two opposite directions and having two free ends,
 2. an elongated column member vertically extending downwardly from each of said free ends,
 3. a wheel mouNted at the lower end of each column member for rotation about an axis extending in said directions, the length of the column member being greater than the diameter of the wheel mounted thereon; b. two leg assemblies at the other end of said frame, said leg assemblies being spaced from said front axle assembly transversely of said direction; c. securing means securing said beam member to said frame for longitudinal movement; and d. connecting means for fixedly connecting said beam member to said frame in a plurality of positions offset longitudinally of said beam member.
 2. an elongated column member vertically extending downwardly from each of said free ends,
 2. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, securing means for securing each column member to said beam member in each of a plurality of positions offset longitudinally of said column member.
 2. said beam member including a plurality of telescoping longitudinal sections and connecting means for fixedly connecting said sections to each other in a plurality of relative positions in which the spacing of said free ends of the beam member is different,
 3. In a machine as set forth in claim 2, said beam member and said column members extending in a common upright plane, said front axle assembly further including fastening means for fastening each wheel to the associated column members in each of a plurality of positions, the axis of rotation of said wheel assuming respective positions angularly offset in said plane when said wheel is fastened to said column member in said plurality of positions.
 3. a wheel mouNted at the lower end of each column member for rotation about an axis extending in said directions, the length of the column member being greater than the diameter of the wheel mounted thereon; b. two leg assemblies at the other end of said frame, said leg assemblies being spaced from said front axle assembly transversely of said direction; c. securing means securing said beam member to said frame for longitudinal movement; and d. connecting means for fixedly connecting said beam member to said frame in a plurality of positions offset longitudinally of said beam member.
 3. an elongated column member vertically extending downwardly from each of said free ends,
 4. a wheel mounted at the lower end of each column member for rotation about an axis extending in said directions, the length of the column member being greater than the diameter of the wheel mounted thereon; and b. two leg assemblies at the other end of said frame, said leg assemblies being spaced from said front axle assembly transversely of said directions.
 4. In a machine as set forth in claim 3, said fastening means including a segment member fixedly mounted on said lower end of each column member, and attaching means for attaching a wheel to each segment member in each of said plurality of positions.
 5. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, said securing means including an approximately U-shaped clamping member on said frame extending about said beam member, and said connecting means including tightening means for tightening said clamping member on said beam member.
 6. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, the length of said beam member being more than twice the diameter of each of said wheels.
 7. In an excavating machine having a normally horizontally extending frame, a platform rotatable on said frame about an upright axis, a jib having one end pivotally fastened to said platform and carrying an excavating tool at the other end thereof, and supporting means for holding said frame in a position upwardly spaced from the ground, the improvement in the supporting means which comprises: a. a front axle assembly at one end of said frame, said assembly including 